


The Hierophant

by Sophics



Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2018-09-14 05:05:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 6,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9163477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sophics/pseuds/Sophics
Summary: In a decisive moment, transfer student Dwight Fairfield tries to be ready for whatever life throws his way. Accustomed to avoiding or even repelling others, he forges an unlikely bond between other students.





	1. The First Day - Dwight

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading my first published piece. I'm still fairly new to the Dead by Daylight community, and even newer to writing fanfictions, so I hope to learn the ropes quickly. I'm not sure how regularly I can update this as I am a full-time university student as well, but I'm so in love with this fandom that I will really try! Feel free to give me any of your critiques. I know the chapters are fairly short right now (character musings, if you will), but I plan to lengthen them. :)

The scent of freshly-mown grass and a brisk autumn chill. Smiles plastered onto young faces. Dwight tried his best to smile too, but he was more anxious than anything. University is supposed to be a fresh start. Furthermore, he was thousands of miles away from the past... He straightened up his best tie, suddenly feeling too tight around his neck. Shifting the weight of his backpack and briefcase, Dwight fumbled around to take out a slip of paper out of his pocket.

_Amaranth Residence Hall  
Near the main road and the Macmillan Library_

Dwight blinked in astonishment. He blinked again at a feeble attempt to make more information appear on the paper. _Really? That's what I wrote?_ Dwight thought. What is the main road? He had no idea where any of the libraries were, either. Dwight couldn't afford to come to orientation and without anyone to fill him in, he was completely lost. He balled the paper up and stuffed it back into his pocket. He saw a small map posted inside a grimy case, but it proved to be completely useless too.  
A girl walked by and Dwight called out hesitantly, "E-Excuse me! D-Do you know where the Amaranth Residence Hall might be..?" The girl scrunched her nose with conspicuous distaste for this particular interaction. Dwight kicked himself mentally. "Sorry. Dunno," she said before quickly walking away. Great.

After trying a handful of locked buildings and looping a couple of times, Dwight found a student center that directed him to his hall. 

He acquired a room key and his ID, now his most treasured possessions. With newfound energy, his anxiety had transformed into excitement. He clenched his keys in his palms and bound up the stairs. Entering the hallways, he brushed his hands against the identical black doors with plastic whiteboard attachments. Many of them had already been drawn on, presumably by its residents. Some had names, welcoming greetings, and some were silly drawings. Dwight would have to come up with something really clever. Finally, he arrived at his room. The whiteboard was untouched! Perhaps his roommate wasn't here yet. 

God, a roommate. Dwight's thoughts shifted back and forth between daydreaming about a friendship and his roommate wanting to kill him in his sleep. He also thought about running away forever, as the latter was notoriously more likely. No no no, he had saved all his money so he could go here. Swallowing hard, Dwight reached for the door when he heard a voice speak.

"I still don't understand why you chose this school. And this room. So small! Why didn't you let us get..." an exasperated female voice droned. It was coming from inside the room. Dwight's body froze in place, caught by the sudden realization that he would be meeting his roommate at this moment.

"I don't want to talk about it, Mom," another voice responded. The voice was deep, stern, and gave Dwight spine chills. The roommate. The taunts and jeers belonging to the deep voices back in high school echoed in his mind. Dwight screwed his face, attempting to banish the haunting memories. 

"I don't understand you, Jake!" the female voice interrupted. Justifying avoidance, Dwight reasoned that it would not be a good time to introduce himself. Prying his eyes away from the door and using the rest of his energy to move his feet, Dwight eased away and exited the building. 

_Jake..._ Dwight repeated in his mind.


	2. The First Day - Jake

Jake was patient. Jake was tolerant. But right now, he really wanted to kick his mother out of his room. He continued to tune her out as he unpacked his suitcase. He hadn't brought much, so he would have to find another distraction soon. 

Wasn't he supposed to get a roommate? 

He eyed the bed, still bare and impersonal. Maybe he wouldn't get a roommate after all, to his preference. He had opted for a single, but ended up in a double.

"Jake!" his mother snapped. He turned to her, her hands on hips and tapping her feet in glossy black stilettos on the carpeted floor. "I'm going to call the car, since it seems I've failed to change your mind again this year. Now is there anything else you need?"

"No, mother. I'll be fine. Call me when you land safely. Send my regards to dad," Jake said monotonously, repeating these lines throughout his life. Sighing, she approached him and kissed him on the forehead.

They locked eyes, and Jake could see that behind her makeup, her eyes were puffy and her nose was red. Her sleek black hair was slightly tousled. She was probably crying all night. He couldn't tell whether she was sad to see her son leave or because he didn't go to Yale, like his brother did. Jake grimaced and quickly looked away.

"I love you," she whispered, and she slipped out like a ghost.

-

Jake took his time unpacking. When he was finished, it was already after noon. The other side of the room remained untouched and there was still no sign of a roommate. On queue, a comical growl escaped from his stomach. It really would've been pointless to wait around, so Jake grabbed his keys and left for the dining commons.

In the hallway, people were buzzing, socializing and introducing themselves to their neighbors. Buzzing in Jake's ears, like little mosquitoes. 

Jake managed to exit the halls undetected. Outside, he failed to suppress a grin when the crisp, autumn air embraced his body. The smell of petrichor invaded his nostrils. Even the buildings, which were steadily becoming consumed by vines was a reminder that nature was powerful and here to stay. THIS was why he had picked this school. A modest university surrounded by acres of temperate deciduous forests, so Jake could explore them to his heart's content. He chose to ignore his hunger and headed towards the welcoming woodlands. 

The thick of the forest was rapidly feeling cooler than the campus grounds. Jake wove around the trees, searching for the perfect one to establish a vantage point. His lithe body easily scaled the trunk and he soon reached a thick branch. The sound of feeble chirping grew louder, and there on the branch was a nest of altrical cardinal hatchlings. Jake knew better than to stay and watch the nest. His presence could scare the mother off or even attract predators, so Jake began to climb down. At the base of the tree, Jake looked up at the nest and a red blur swooped in. Jake's face relaxed into a smile at the nest before continuing deeper into the forest.


	3. The First Day - Dwight pt. 2

When Dwight was a little boy, his favorite game was hide and seek. Not only did everyone get to play it, but he was very good at hiding. Sometimes the other children would give up. No one would come tell him, so he ended up hiding for hours on end.

Eventually he began to hide outside of the game, avoiding others and often keeping to himself. That's what it felt like he was still doing now. And damn, did it feel stupid. Dwight made a promise that he would try to quit all these habits when he was here. The hiding, the nail biting... Dwight could go on.

He circled around the Amaranth building for the fourth time, attempting to calm his nerves.

"Seriously dude, I'm gonna call the campus security on you if I see you walk around the building again!" a voice called. Dwight whipped around to a girl in braids staring at him. Her arms were crossed and her expression was undeniably disgusted. Dwight's faced paled.  
He stammered, "N-No! I go h-here! I just..." Why did he even bother? He slumped his arms in defeat.  
"Well?" the girl said.  
"Wait!" Dwight fumbled around for his ID. Before he could present it, the girl broke into laughter. 

"PFFT! Your face!" she cackled. "Oh boy... You must be new! Don't worry, I saw that you on my floor before you scrambled away from it like a scaredy-cat. I ain't gonna call the cops on ya".

Dwight cheeks heated up in embarrassment. He turned to go, feeling even worse because people had already began to play cruel tricks on him.

"Hey! Don't go! I'm sorry!" she shouted. She was still laughing, so it was hard for Dwight to take her apology seriously. Finally, she cleared her throat. "Lighten up! I'm Meg," she smiled sincerely. Dwight's face lit up and stuck his hand out for a handshake. "Dwight Fairfield!" he beamed. She ignored the handshake and proceeded to ask a series of questions: 

"Okay Dwight... Why are you walking around with all your stuff still? If you could call that your stuff... Is that really all you brought? I don't understand how some people could just travel so lightly! And geez, what is UP with that tie?" Dwight instinctively reached for his tie, feeling attacked. "I-I like this tie..." he said weakly. 

"To each their own, I guess," she stated. "Your glasses are pretty cute though..."

Dwight blushed furiously and Meg laughed that high-pitched cackle again. "Ohhhhh, you are such an open book, newbie!" she wheezed with laughter. She continued to ramble on and laugh maniacally. Now she was really embarrassingly herself, but it looked like she couldn't care less at the attention she was drawing. Dwight felt each and every one of those eyes watching them, so he turned to go again. "Look look... Hey!" she shouted after him. "Room 550!" 

Dwight stared at her, perplexed.  
"My room number! A couple after yours, right? Come by some time..." and something else incoherently.  
"Sorry what?" Dwight asked.  
"Nothing!" she snickered. "See ya!" and she ran off.

_What a weird girl..._ Dwight thought as he finally entered the Amaranth building. _And talk about hypocrisy! She's an open book too!_ he thought, as he found himself envying that carefree attitude and boundless energy.

...Once again, Dwight was in the halls. They were much more lively this time, as everyone was probably done unpacking and wanted to meet their neighbors. He found himself in front of the black door with the unmarked whiteboard, undeniably his room. Closing his eyes and breathing deep, Dwight inserted the key into the lock. In one swift motion, he opened the door.

The room was empty, save for sheets and blankets neatly made into one of the beds. The desk beside it had a laptop, a lamp, and a water bottle. There was a distinct lack of photos, posters, or any sort of decoration on the roommate's side of the room. It was hardly less plain than Dwight's side, albeit it was going to be pretty plain once he unpacked too. 

After setting aside his backpack and briefcase, Dwight crashed onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. He wondered where Jake could be and what he would be like and he thought about Meg too... The toll of the day's events caught up to him, and Dwight drifted into slumber.


	4. The First Day - Meg

Meg was gaining on her tenth mile. She didn't need to check the time because she had already made a fifth lap past the coffee shop. Right on schedule, an employee was entering the shop to begin her shift. The employee waved to Meg as she rounded the corner. Meg smiled and waved back as she kept running. They say that the world is supposed to be entropic and random, but Meg disagreed. She was a creature of habit, and she would argue that many humans were too. 2 o' clock runs right before it started getting cooler. Sometimes she found the monotony of her surroundings and the predictability of her daily runs annoying, if she thought about it. But she did meet... what was his name? The funny glasses guy! Dwight! Meeting him had slightly thrown her schedule off, but Meg had put herself back on track with ease, as she always did. 

As if the gods were reading her thoughts, a figure much faster than Meg rammed into her. They rolled together into the grass. 

Meg recovered much faster than the stranger, managing to come out of the collision with stinging, scraped knees and a few cuts. Meg would've yelled at her assailant if the wind wasn't knocked out of her. It was partially her fault anyway, so Meg ultimately decided against it.

Looking across the grass, a girl her age was holding her hands to her face. Blood gushed out of her nose and into her hands. Another few feet away, a skateboard lay pathetically abandoned.

"Are you okay?!" Meg asked, concerned about the amount of blood that continued to poor down her nose. Meg waved her hands awkwardly, unsure how to help.

"It's fine, I was not expecting to pick up so much speed when I saw you. But maybe you should pay more attention too," the girl frowned.  
Feeling annoyed at the remark, Meg jumped up and shouted right back at her, "You're not even supposed to be skating on campus!"  
The girl scoffed in response and said, "Goody-two-feet", which drove Meg insane.  
"It's 'goody-two- _shoes_ '! And I am NOT one!!" she screamed at her.  
"Geez lady, you are so loud," the girl retaliated. She was still on the ground, continuing to bleed profusely from her nose.  
Meg's anger stewed and bubbled. Goody-two-shoes??! Lady??!! 

Before her anger came to a head, the employees at the coffee shop ran over to the two girls with first aid. The employee who had waved to Meg earlier asked, "Are you guys okay? A customer saw that nasty tumble you both took!" The employee took a look at the girl on the ground and rushed to her side.  
"M'fine," Meg spat. No one had seemed to notice her, as they were busy caring for that stupid girl. 

With clenched fists, Meg stomped away back to her dorm and took a shower to cool off from her run and from that entire ordeal.


	5. Please like me

When Dwight woke, the room felt warm and cozy. He slowly rose and looked at the window adjacent to his bed to see that it was a lovely milky blue sky. His vision was still blurred from waking, but the small light on the desk caught his eye. Illuminated by the light was a tall figure hunched over. Dwight pushed up his glasses to rub at his eyes. He completely forgot about roommate, as he was so used to being alone... 

"H-hey," Dwight croaked softly.

No response. He then noticed the headphones just barely peeking through the man's messy hair. Dwight anxiously debated on what to do, now that he was awake. 

_I guess I should introduce myself. No no, he looks busy. I still have to unpack anyway. But would it be okay to just skulk around the room? I mean it's my room too... Gah!_ his thoughts raced as he stared at his roommate's back. _Jake. I'm Dwight._

A green jacket hung on the back of the chair where Jake sat. He was wearing a t-shirt that hung loosely from his body. Dwight watched Jake reach for a water bottle and finished its contents. Suddenly, he took out his headphones and grabbed the water bottle before getting up to get more. 

Now Jake's eyes met Dwight's, who was still watching him from his bed.

"Um," Jake started.  
"O-oh, hey!" Dwight averted his gaze, realizing he had been staring.  
"I'm Jake. You are..?"  
"It's Dwight. Dwight Fairfield," he replied quickly.  
"Nice to meet you. I hope you don't mind that I've taken this side of the room," he said cooly.  
"N-Not at all! It's not a big deal!"

Jake, who had been standing, set his water bottle back down and moved to sit on his bed. They were now facing each other on exact opposite sides on the room. Dwight found this move to be genuine, which relaxed him greatly.  
"Where are you from, Dwight?" Jake asked.  
"Oh, from nowhere, really..." Dwight trailed off. He wasn't from some place cool or historic or anything like that...  
"Nowhere huh? Sounds like my kinda place," Jake smirked.  
It earned a hearty chuckle from Dwight.

"I-It's... my first year here. I just transferred," Dwight admitted nervously.  
"That's great. You'll definitely find something to love here," Jake said warmly. He was still savoring his forest excursion today.  
Delighted that Jake seemed friendly after all, Dwight eagerly asked him,  
"What did you come to love here? And I didn't ask where you were from!"  
"The forests here are amazing," Jake answered. Dwight expected him to answer the latter question too, but Jake made no indication of responding.  
"T-That's cool!" Dwight said plainly. He really wasn't an outdoors kind of guy, but Dwight felt moved by Jake's genuine answers. Jake gave him a small smile before getting up again.

Intent on keeping the conversation going, Dwight blurted, "H-hey! Did you want to grab some food at the dining commons?"  
"No thanks, I ate already."  
Jake casually pointed to the backpack and briefcase Dwight discarded on the foot of his bed. "You might want to unpack too. Don't worry, the dining commons are open until 9," he said as he grabbed his water bottle and headed to the water fountain.  
"O-oh," Dwight deflated. He was probably getting ahead of himself. He opened his backpack and briefcase and began to unpack. Jake returned and went back to his desk and headphones.


	6. Meghandled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's pick up the pace a bit, shall we?

Dwight surprised himself by waking up before noon the following day. The sunlight flooded into the room and filled him with energy. Classes still wouldn't start until tomorrow, but for the first time he was excited for them.

He reached for his glasses and glanced at Jake's bed, already neatly made up. Jake wasn't at his desk, either. _Someone's an early riser,_ Dwight thought.

Dwight headed for the showers and changed into a pair of jeans and a comfortable shirt. The small mirror inside the dresser reflected a confident, handsome-looking young man. "Nice to meet you! The name's Dwight," he announced proudly at the mirror. Muffled laughter came from the next room. It sounded like maybe 2 or 3 people at once. Crap, of course the walls were thin. Hopefully they didn't hear that... Hopefully, they weren't laughing at him. Dwight sighed. It wouldn't be so easy to abandon his anxiety after all.

At the dining commons, Dwight barely touched his food. He wasn't sitting alone--no--there were way too many students for him to have an empty table like the days back in high school. People sat all around him, eating and talking to someone else which had made him feel even lonelier. In the sea of people, he was just someone to avoid making awkward eye contact with.

"Really Dwight, you look like you're about to fall face first in that sorry bowl you call breakfast," a familiar voice interrupted his alienating thoughts. It was Meg, wearing a bright tracksuit holding a plate of bacon and eggs in one hand and a stack of pancakes in the other. 

"Meg!" Dwight lit up.   
"The one and only," she winked. Dwight could tell that many boys were ogling her. Her hair was down, still wet from a shower, and her smile radiated for miles. That had to make Dwight wonder why Meg bothered to say hi, let alone sit down across from him. She seemed like the popular type.

"Soooo, how's campus treatin' ya, newbie?" she asked, mouth already stuffed with pancakes. He tried not to laugh. Any trace of that regal aura Meg possessed had totally dissipated. Dwight felt abundantly more comfortable this way.   
"I, uh, it's good! Didn't really do much... I like my room I guess. And my roommate's pretty nice!"   
"Mmmf!" Her mouth was still hilariously full.   
"How about you?"   
She took a large gulp of water and chirped, "Ah! Great! Let's go for a run yeah?"  
"Wha--" Meg grabbed his wrist and took all their dishes with her free hand. 

She dragged him all the way back to the Amaranth Hall and left him at his room.   
"Hurry up and get changed!"   
"M-Meg, I'm not much of an athlete..." Dwight murmured. She didn't seem to hear as she disappeared around the corner. 

_Well, I guess I don't really have a choice..._ Dwight entered his room and changed into some old gym shorts and a looser shirt. He went to his briefcase (still not fully unpacked) and rummaged around for a water bottle to bring along. He would definitely need it. "Argh!" he said aloud, giving up.

"Everything okay?" Jake spoke.   
"AH!" Dwight practically jumped out of his skin. "Jake! H-Have you been there the whole time?"  
"Just got back a while ago. Going for a run?"  
Dwight blushed ferociously as he realized Jake may have practically saw him in his underwear. Since high school he had changed in the stalls every day to avoid that vulnerability and embarrassment. "U-uh, y-yeah, a friend dragged me into it... Uh, I was just l-looking for a water bottle..."  
"Take mine. I won't need it," he motioned to it on his desk.  
Dwight, still stunned and flustered, couldn't even answer before Meg burst into the room.

"Oh good! Took ya long enough," she interjected.   
"And you are...?" Jake interrogated, clearly not pleased with her.   
"Meg, I'm just down the hall!" she didn't even look at him as she took Dwight's wrist again.  
"Water bottle, Dwight," Jake called after them and tossed the bottle.  
Dwight barely caught it in his nervousness and disorientation. Jake gave a small wave as Meg toted him out of the building.


	7. Incubic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :) I'm really gonna try to update, despite my super busy schedule this quarter.

Dwight managed to keep up with Meg, but he could tell this was a measly jog for her. She looked bored and they had only passed the dorm twice now. 

They stopped at the library where Dwight was able to take a drink and build his energy back up. 

"Wow, I've always wanted one of those water bottles. Didn't take ya for a fancy pants!" Meg patted him on the back forcefully. Dwight almost choked.  
"Huh? This isn't my water bottle. It's Jake's," he coughed.   
"Jake?" she paused pensively. "Ohhh, the roomie! Those are ridiculously overpriced. Who'da thought!"  
Dwight thought of Jake, who he would've really preferred to spend time with now that he knew he'd be at the dorm. Not that he was happy to hang out with Meg, but it was difficult to match her energy and demands. He was starting to feel worn out, and it wasn't from the running. Meg, ever so unrelenting, began to spit out questions. He really wasn't used to the attention, but Dwight tried his best to keep up with answers. Eventually the questions got more and more personal.

"Do you have a girlfriend?!" she demanded.  
"No..."  
"Ah, but you have kissed a girl right?"  
"Uh, n-no, never."  
"Oh! Maybe a boy then?"  
"No Meg,"  
"Wow..."  
Dwight couldn't tell if that comment was one of shock or one of pity. He shortly decided that it was definitely pity, as Meg stopped questioning. 

"So, do you have, um, anyone Meg?"  
"Nope! I don't need anyone telling me what to do. Especially not some dumb guy..." She came to a silence again.  
The last part was uttered in such a low tone Dwight had never heard her use before. He mentally made a note: _Probably not a good topic to bring up._ They now sat with each other quietly, save for a methodical clinking noise coming from above.

A man on a tall ladder chipped away at the words _Macmillan_ carved in stone. 

"Who's Macmillan?" Dwight inquired. 

"Oh, he was some old wealthy dude who donated a boatload of money to this school back then. His son even went here, I think. Rumor is, they're changing the name of the library because they uncovered a ton of dead bodies last summer in the Macmillan mines. I mean, no one wants to think of that when they come to the library! But oh man, it was possibly the worst massacre ever. I wonder what they'll name it to!"

Dwight shuddered as Meg's words settled deep inside his mind. He must have spaced out for awhile to give Meg enough time to notice. 

"Hellooo? Earth to Dwight?" she waved. "I'm gonna do some more laps alright? Why don't we hang later? Heh, maybe I'll let you pick what we can do!"  
"S-sure... sounds good."  
Meg sprinted away into the distance and Dwight returned to the dorm.

Jake was still there, reading a small book on his bed. 

"Hey! Thanks for lending me your water bottle, Jake. Oh, actually, I should wash it first," Dwight proposed.  
"It's no problem. And nah, that's okay. Unless you're sick maybe?" he mused.  
"N-no no! I don't have anything I swear!"  
"Alright then," Jake lightly chuckled.  
"A-are you sure?"  
"Yep."  
Jake went back to reading, so Dwight quietly placed the bottle back on his desk. _He doesn't care that I used it or anything? Like I put my lips on it?_ Come to think of it, Dwight hadn't washed the water bottle before hand either. His cheeks heated up at the thought. _Ugh! That's so immature, Dwight! I mean he just doesn't care is all._ Perhaps that's what held Dwight's attention: that Jake just didn't care. So many people wouldn't give him time of day, and if they did, they'd almost be disgusted, like that girl he asked directions from yesterday. Jake always seemed so relaxed and casual around him. Admittedly, he was such an enigma too.

"What're you reading there?" Dwight inquired.  
Jake flipped the book around, unsure himself. "'Botany Knowledge'," he read the title plainly. "A friend lent it to me. It's pretty interesting. You should read it too."  
"Oh, I'm not much for books. And it's your friend's book right?"  
"Ha, don't worry, I'm pretty sure she'd shove it in some random person's arms if she could."  
Dwight to imagine this friend and smiled at the thought of a girl throwing books at Jake. 

Dwight and Jake continued talking into the evening about campus, classes, and their preferences. Dwight had managed to learn a few things about Jake. Some small things like that he often left early in the mornings to explore the woods and that he preferred the window open. Dwight sucked up his answers and tried squeeze more out of him, but Jake was particularly good at avoiding questions when he felt like it. At the same time, Dwight was still shocked to some extent at the attention he was getting. He had to thank Meg somehow for adequately prepping him earlier. 

At this point, the dining commons were already closed when the two noticed how hungry they were. Dwight was practically starved, as he had barely even ate breakfast this morning. Jake mentioned that he knew of a cafe open late at the library.

"Macmillan library," Jake clarified. 

Dwight had forgotten about the tidbit about the Macmillans that Meg told him that noon. Until now. The memory reverberated through him once again, and Dwight violently shuddered.   
"You okay?" Jake asked.   
"J-just cold," he lied.  
"Do you want my jacket?"  
"No! That's okay! I'll be fine!"   
Honestly, that might have comforted Dwight. 

The two grabbed a small snack from the cafe and headed back to the dorms. Both of them had classes in the morning, so it was lights off fairly promptly. 

That night, Dwight dreamt of a large, shadowy figure marked by two dim glowing orbs stalking him in the forests of the school.


	8. Friday Nights

Dwight had not gotten any sleep his first few days of school. His nightmares grew worse.

Last night, the shadowy figure now had a face with a crooked smile. Its body appeared singed, and many metal pieces protruded from the brute's arms and sides. 

It was Friday night now, and Meg was knocking at his door. Jake wasn't here, so Dwight answered it. 

"Okay, lets partay!" she whooped. She let herself in (as always) and crashed down onto his bed and swung her legs back and forth rapidly.  
"You go have fun," he responded wearily.  
"No way! Ya gotta come with me! It was hard enough to convince Claudette to hang with us tonight!"

Dwight met Claudette a few days ago through Meg. She was a graduate student who also happened to the friend who lent Jake the book. Dwight admired her and got along with her very well, so he almost said yes to Meg.

Not that you had a choice. Meg wouldn't take no for an answer. 

She started rummaging through Dwight's wardrobe and picked out a bright blue shirt. 

"I'll wait for you to change into this, kay?" she tossed the shirt at him. 

-

They decided they would meet at the dining commons to eat first before they went.

In line, Dwight tapped her on the shoulder. "So um, Meg? W-Where are we going?"  
"It's a surprise! Oh, Claud!"  
Claudette had arrived and they all ate together. Dwight tried to lighten up because even Claudette seemed excited for this party. 

After eating, they walked to a large house on campus.  
"Oooh, swanky!" Meg piped. "Claud with the hook up!" Wait, so the party was Claudette's idea? Dwight was very confused.

A large foyer warmly invited the three students in. Mellow music lingered in the background and there were many people conversing casually. Dwight noticed that many of them were adults, most looking past their 40s. He recognized one of his professors, even.

"You told me this was going to be a party!" Meg hissed under her breath.  
"It _is_ a party! Just one that has a lot of faculty is all..." Claudette giggled.  
Dwight had to laugh too. This was technically his first party, although he had an idea that this wasn't like most parties people threw.  
"Is this for real?" she pouted and rolled her eyes. "Never ever trusting you with 'parties',"she dramatically airquoted. 

Despite her dismay, Meg stuck around for an hour. She even found her coach among the "partygoers" and had a quick chat before spending the remainder of the hour convincing Dwight to try some wine. Dwight was happy to be here for Claudette, as he figured this was likely important for her to make connections. It took his mind off the plaguing nightmares for now too. Still, Dwight was tired and he easily gave into the wine. 

He grew tipsy rapidly, and Meg and Claudette decided to take him home before anything else happened. 

-

"Hey, I didn't think he was going to drink so much and feel it so fast too!" Meg defended herself when Jake interrogated her.  
"I suppose it was my fault," Claudette always tried to be responsible.

Jake sighed. "No harm no foul I guess. But now I have to deal with this."  
"S-sorreee," Dwight slurred, suddenly aware that they were talking about him.

Meg and Claudette left, leaving the two alone. The dorms were quiet for a Friday night, but everyone was definitely out still partying. 

"Stay hydrated. If you feel like throwing up: trash can's right here," Jake instructed firmly.  
"I'm fine Jake... Lake cake bake..."  
"What?"  
"What's your last name Jake?"  
"Park."  
"Park. Bark. Dark! Haha! That's funny!"  
"What's funny?"  
"Mr. Dark, because you're sooo cool and mysterious," he hiccuped.

Jake didn't respond, and to his relief Dwight quickly fell asleep. He turned Dwight on his side and threw the blankets over him. Jake stayed up for a few more hours to make sure his roommate was okay.


	9. Am I Dreaming?

Jake woke up to Dwight's groaning, which had been growing louder and louder throughout the night.  
He drowsily walked over to his roommate's bed and touched his cheek, slick with sweat. Dwight recoiled from his touch and continued to groan and convulse. 

"Dwight," Jake called. "Dwight." Jake shook him gently to try to rouse him from sleep. Unable to get a response, Jake shook him harder and tried calling his name again.  
Dwight snapped his eyes open. The moonlight seeping through the window illuminated his terrified face. He panted shakily and reflexively reached out for Jake.

"J-Jake!"  
"Shh, it's okay." Jake cooed and embraced him. With so much experience with wounded animals in the forests, it came to him naturally. "Bad dream?"  
"Yeah. Did I wake you? I'm so sorry."  
"Not your fault. Are you homesick? Or nervous...?"  
"No, not at all. I just--" Dwight hesitated. It sounded stupid in his head and Jake wouldn't understand.  
"..."  
"I keep having dreams about this, this, monster. A bloody, disfigured man l-looking for me! The dreams just get worse every night, but he never catches me. It was so vivid tonight, I thought I was gonna die..."  
"Alcohol does that," Jake grimaced, disappointed in his choices tonight.  
"I haven't really slept for days. But it's better I'm awake now I guess. That was hell." Jake felt Dwight relax in his arms. He wished he could do more for him. That way they could both sleep too. Jake pulled away and considered his options.  
"You could read a book or watch something until you fall asleep. That way you might dream about that instead." Jake wasn't sure how exactly dreams worked, but he figured he wasn't that far off.  
"I-I guess I could try it... You don't mind if I leave the small lamp on to read?"  
Jake nodded his head and went back to his bed. 

Dwight sighed and picked up _Botany Knowledge_. It was boring if he was honest, but it wasn't lulling him to sleep. He looked at Jake, turned away from him. He turned the lamp off and shut his eyes. All that followed was a lot of tossing and turning. 

"Jake?" he finally whispered.  
"Mmm?" Jake responded, back still turned to Dwight.  
"I... I w-was wondering... Maybe if you... Could... Could you sleep with me?" He unconsciously covered his mouth as if he said something bad. _Did I really just say that? Idiot! I'm such a baby. He's gonna think I'm such a baby._  
Jake stayed quiet, giving Dwight more time to berate himself.

"A-Ah, forget I said a-anything..." Dwight stammered.  
After a few minutes, Jake, still wrapped in a blanket, walked over to Dwight's bed without a word. Dwight, just as shocked at his bravery, was shocked with Jake's compliance. He hesistantly made room on the tiny bed which somehow managed to fit both of them.

_What am I thinking? No, I wasn't even thinking before I asked!_  
Dwight stiffened against Jake. Jake somehow understood his request but was mostly taken by surprise at Dwight's uncharacteristic boldness. He found himself smiling as he wondered what else Dwight was capable of.

Dwight was still frozen in place. His thoughts raced and his heart palpitated. _This is definitely NOT what roommates do!_ Painfully aware of the awkward silence, Dwight blurted, "You... make me feel safe is all." Dwight regretted that instantly. _NO!! Literally who says that?! Damnit all am I still drunk or something? I've probably gone and ruined everything!_  
"I'm glad." Jake spoke. Without sarcasm or malice or mockery. But was it sincere?  
Just then Jake moved to face him and placed his hand over Dwight's head. He gently nudged him toward his chest.  
A flustered and dazed Dwight moved easily against him like pudding. 

A steady heartbeat knocked him out of his trance. For a split second Dwight initially panicked when he heard a heartbeat, as there was a heartbeat in his nightmares. But Jake's heartbeat was nothing like that. The heartbeat in the nightmares oscillated in strength yet it was always intrusive. Jake's was very human. The blood coursing through his veins gave him life. It reminded Dwight that he himself was alive too. 

The rhythm matched the rise and fall of Jake's breaths and calmed him. And his chest... it was so warm...  
They fit perfectly against each other and nothing seemed wrong or bad anymore.

Dwight was able to forget everything--the nightmares, the embarrassment, the incessant self-chastisement--and the two fell asleep.


	10. Dearest

Dwight woke up to the sound of his cellphone buzzing. Squinting at his phone, he could see the blurry outline of Meg's picture to indicate she was calling. When he finally put on his glasses, the buzzing ceased. He saw that it was 12:28 P.M. and he had 9 missed calls. 8 from Meg... and 1 from his mother. Mother and son barely spoke, let alone call each other. Before he could ponder the intentions of his mother's phone call, his phone rang again.

"Hello?"  
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN FAIRFIELD!" Meg shrieked, her voice sounding particularly more abrasive over the phone.  
"I-I slept in... Sorry..."  
"Okay," she said sweetly. "But you must have forgot about THE DORM MEETING RIGHT NOW!!" she shouted again. "Like, I know you were totally buzzed last night but really you've gotta--"  
"Meg... I really should get ready then,"  
"Yeah yeah."  
Meg hung up and Dwight scrambled to get dressed.

He ran downstairs to the lounge and spotted Meg on the sofa with her feet propped up on the table. He didn't really know anyone else. 

Someone cleared their voice and a tall girl spoke. 

"I'm your RA. You can call me Laurie," she said formally. "I know you all wanna get out of here so I'll make this quick:  
You can come to me for whatever you need, I'm on the second floor with the white door. Classes, random questions, even advice, just knock. Think of everyone here as your new family," she smiled. "Any questions?" she paused and the room remained silent. "Good. I'll go over roll and the last formality will be the fire exits."

With a practiced tongue, Laurie read out the names fairly quickly. She had to stop when no one answered for Jake's name. 

"Jake Park?" she tried again. "Hm, room 558. Anyone his roommate?"  
"Y-Yeah," Dwight answered weakly, hating the attention it drew.  
"Any idea where he might be?"  
"No..."  
Laurie marked the list and moved on.

Dwight tuned out Laurie's spiel about safety and thought about Jake the entire time. Where was he? But more importantly, did they really sleep together last night? His cheeks turned into a fiery color. Meg, ever so observant, elbowed Dwight.

She whispered-yelled, "Laurie? I guess I could see her being your type!"  
"N-no, what?"  
"So what's got you all hot and bothered?" she teased.

"Hey, guys? I'm almost done here," Laurie vocalized.  
"Sorry," they mumbled in unison.

After the meeting, Meg followed Dwight to his room. Still no sign of Jake. 

"Spill the beans, Fairfield. What's up?" she insisted.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Dude, don't play dumb. Totally saw ya turn into a tomato back there."  
"O-oh."  
She snorted in frustration. "Dwight," she warned.  
"I-it's nothing! Just tired and stressed. Thinking about where Jake could be and I've gotta call my mom now too so..." he trailed off. At least he wasn't completely lying.  
She squinted at him suspiciously but seemed to believe him.  
"Alright... Well let's grab dinner later!" She let herself out, as always.

\- 

Dwight had been lying in bed for hours ever since Meg left. He replayed last night's hazy memory in his head to relieve himself of the anxiety of calling his mother. 

He remembered the way Jake tenderly wrapped his arms around him when he first woke up and the way Jake breathed under his head.

_Is this normal?_ He doubted it. He covered his face in shame. _It was nothing._

-

That afternoon, Jake returned to the room. 

"Hey," he waved to Dwight, still on the bed. "Hungover or something?" 

"N-no, nothing like that... Oh, Jake?"  
"Yeah?"  
Dwight could've said a million things, but he went with, "why weren't you at the dorm meeting today?"  
"Oh, I was helping Claudette at the Arboretum."  
"Ah." He turned away to avoid spewing compromising questions or comments. Jake must've taken the hint, because the two didn't talk for the rest of the day.

-

After dinner with Meg, Dwight idled outside of the Amaranth building.  
He nervously fiddled with his phone which displayed his mother's contact. He inhaled deeply and pressed the call button. Dwight used his free hand to gnaw on his fingernails. When it seemed like the call was going to voicemail, a woman answered.

"Hello?"  
"Mom? It's me, Dwight."  
"Oh good, you had the decency to call back," she replied crassly.  
"..."  
"Listen, your father and I have decided that the whole college thing you're doing, it's never gonna work out!"  
"..."  
"That pizza place will take you back right? You're wasting your money honey!"  
"..."  
"Hello? Dwight? You could at least answer your mother, you ungrateful..."  
"Ungrateful?! I have worked for everything I've had, including college! I don't think you get to decide when I have worked so hard without any of YOUR help or dad's help! You don't get to come in now after all these years and tell me what to do! This is my life and just because... because you're my mother doesn't mean anything!" he snapped. He panted slightly from the adrenaline of shouting, and he could feel the entirety of his head heat up with anger and intensity.  
His mother was silent, surprised and appalled at Dwight's outburst.

"I-I'm not coming home," Dwight concluded firmly.  
"Fine, don't ever come back here!" she yelled, and hung up the phone.

Dwight could feel tears welling up in his eyes. He was used to the abuse, but the realization that he no longer had family hit him hard. He sat down and cried into his palms. To make things worse, Dwight thought that they were probably right. What was his plan here? Could he even graduate? His classes seemed okay but he had another year or so of other classes which could only get harder... Maybe he screwed up big time, and the consequences were ardently irreversible. He continued to poison his mind with dark thoughts and even darker wishes. The only warmth were his hot tears in the cold autumn night.


End file.
